Hi Kesha, I am starting mine on Monday the 17th. If you want to join me.. Friday is payday and I wanted to make sure I got some good protien drink for the week.. You know, something you can swallow.. hee heee.. Luvs and Hugs! Tiff

I am glad you are finding something that works for you. I have to totally disagree about the comment that "I don't think there is anyone on this board that can honestly say that we are still not on a diet. There are things that we shouldn't eat. Hence diet! " I for one am not on a "diet". We all have a diet in the sense that we eat food. But we are not all ON a "diet" in the sense of "allowed and not allowed" foods. I eat what I want to eat. I have very few "not allowed" foods and the only reason they are on the "not allowed" type list is that they cause my pouch to be pissy. This way of thinking (should not have) may work for you but it didn't work for me. I don't allow food to have that kind of power over me anymore. "not allowed" and "shouldn't have" are the comments that helped me gain over 277lbs. If I choose to walk by a certain food at a certain time that doesn't mean I feel I "shouldn't have them" it means "I" am in control of the food and when I eat it and not the other way around. If I want to eat candy I eat candy. If I want to have pasta I eat pasta. I make choices every day on what I eat or don't eat. But no "diet" tells me what I "should or should not eat". Thats again why I "personally" chose not to do the 5 day "test/diet". I don't need to "retrain" myself to do better as I can't "fall off" in the first place. I didn't have WLS so I would be punished and never allowed to eat yummy food. I had it so I could make better choices. I don't graze all day long. Not because I don't want to but because I choose not to. And trust me there are plenty of things in this house to munch on. I walk by 90% of them that would be on your "not allowed list" every time I move around my house as my kitchen is in the middle of my house. I could eat them.. but I don't. But when I want to eat them I do. There is a difference. Grazing instead of meals. Eating mindlessly instead of purposefully. This doesn't make me better then anyone else or stronger then anyone else. It makes me better then the person I was before and stronger then the person I was before because I have a tool in my corner now and all I have to do is work it. If its all for awareness then why not just go back to eating right in the first place? Why the "diet" to get back to the right place? 90% of what has been written so far has been all about "breaking the carb habit" and "fighting the grazing". Why not just cut the carbs out or stop grazing? And lets not forget the excitement of "losing 5-6lbs in a week" part. Again isn't that the "glory goal" we used to shoot for when we were "dieting?" We are not even a year out yet and it just seems that this is just getting back on the "if I could just lose 5lbs" con. No matter what, at the end of those 5 days you are still going to have to make the same choice you could have made on the first.. not do to what you are not wanting to do. Doesn't matter if it is on day 5 or day 1.. its the same choice and it is just as hard on day 5 to make it as it would have been on day 1. Like I said before.. if this is something that works for you then I am all for it. I support everyone on the board, always have always will, no matter the choices or direction they take. *huggles* Felicia =0)

I agree with you in that I don't want the roller coaster effect in my life. But the problem is life is truly kinda a ride anyway! We just happen to have the hand brake in our hands. At least regarding what we eat! I don't think there is anyone on this board that can honestly say that we are still not on a diet. There are things that we shouldn't eat. Hence diet! My dr thought this was a great idea when I approached him with it. Since it is not a long term thing, but a back to basics kinda thing. In reality if you read the 5 day pouch test it tells you can also skip the first 2 and double up on 3, 4 & 5. All it is, is really making you aware of where we have fallen off the wagon on our journey of good intentions! On day 5 you should truly be almost back to where you should be in the first place. Kinda like when I do spring and fall cleaning in my bedroom. I clean it all out start with bare bone basics and only reintroduce back in it the things I really need or want in there. Cause over the course of the previous months I brought into it things I shouldn't have. Same thing with our diets we tend to allow ourselves things that we know our nut would say NO to! On day 6 I will be doing the same as on day 5, at least I did after I tried this the first time. It shook up my system and made me more aware. I have also added an extra 20 mins to my exercise regimen starting today. Also took up bowling again. Muscles are sore, but the rewards will be great. I want to be a winner and whatever I have to do to get there I will. You are right our pouches are bigger and they won't just shrink because we go on liquids, but like I said it's an awareness tool, if nothing else! Just my thoughts! Your friend Dai

When I am very hungry, I cannot drink anything -- it makes me so sick! I am doing better today, though!

You stated exactly why I am not doing the "pouch test" (aka: diet). I had WLS so I wouldn't have to diet ever again. Eat healthy and work out? Yes but never a "diet". Yes I consider it a "diet". Why you ask? Because if you can "fall off" then its a diet. You cant fall off of a life style only make changes and choices. But in just the first day I saw at least 2 posts about how people had "fallen off" or "cheated" and it just saddened me to think they were back on the roller coaster. Our pouches will never be the way they were when we started this no matter how much we "test" them out. The fact is by design they have changed. They are no longer as sensitive. They are no longer as small. Really all you are doing is changing your mind and I guess I don't feel I need a "test" (again aka: diet) to do that for me. It didn't work before anyways... "I" have to make choices daily. Some good, some bad. I am not perfect. And its ok. Why not a "5 day work out" test? Or a "5 day getting back on the plan that was working for you" test? or a "5 day getting back to protein firs****er second, carbs 3rd" test? What happens on day 6? I admire the ones that are doing it and I wish them the very very best! I hope you all get out of it what you are searching for. As for me there is just no way I am stepping back onto that roller coaster ever again. My 2 cents of course. *huggles* Felicia =0)